Plants and Animals

Traditional teachings about the moon cycles and their relation to the natural history of Mi’kma’ki on Canada’s East Coast.

For thousands of years, the Mi’kmaq have been closely observing the natural world and the cycles of the moon and the stars to track the passage of time. Each full moon in an annual cycle was named by the Mi’kmaq to relate to a seasonal event, such as tomcod spawning, birds laying eggs or berry ripening.

For the past decade, Mi’kmaw Elders and Knowledge Keepers have shared stories of the traditional night sky calendar with authors Cathy LeBlanc and David Chapman. In this book, Cathy relays these stories in her role as Auntie to her young relation Holly.

Each moon’s story is richly illustrated with an evocative colour painting created for this book by the noted Mi’kmaw artist Loretta Gould.

Alongside this presentation of the Mi’kmaw time-keeping traditions, this book offers a brief history of the modern Western calendar, and some basic astronomy facts about the moon’s phases and why the seasons change.

This two-eyed seeing approach takes young readers on a journey through one full year in Mi’kma’ki.

Educator Information
Juvenile fiction.

Includes some Mi'kmaw words.

A board book version is available here: Mi’kmaw Moons: A First Lunar Calendar.

Additional Information
56 pages | 11.02" x 9.01" | Paperback

Salmon: Swimming for Survival introduces us to the dramatic life story of salmon.

These fish hatch in streams, swim extreme distances out to sea, and then migrate home to where they were born to produce the next generation. But today their habitats and very survival are threatened by human activity. This book looks at the unique biology of salmon, their importance to many Indigenous communities, their cultural and economic impact and the vital role they play in ecosystems. With profiles from scientists, educators, fishers and more, learn about the people who are working hard to change the uncertain future of salmon and improve the chance that these iconic fish can survive for generations to come.

Reviews
“A wealth of good, up-to-date information...This comprehensive book has a great deal to offer to help everyone understand the critical nature of salmon conservation. Highly Recommended.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“This informative book...takes a complex subject and breaks it down into parts that are easy to comprehend. Recommended.” — School Library Connection

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Orca Wild series that examines the intricacies of animals, ecosystems, humans and our relationships to each other.

Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Includes some Indigenous content.

Additional Information
112 pages | 7.50" x 9.00" | Hardcover

Learn about what kinds of sea mammals live in the Arctic! From narwhals and belugas to walruses and ringed seals, this nonfiction book introduces young readers to wildlife in arctic waters.

An exciting addition to the collection of Junior Field Guides from Inhabit Education Books! 

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 10.

This book is part of the Junior Field Guide series. Perfect for learning all about living things in the Arctic! These Junior Field Guides give information and interesting facts about the different animals that live in Nunavut.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Explore the latest science about sharks.

Did you know that some sharks have friends? Or that there are sharks small enough to swim in a soup can? There are sharks who can walk on land and others who make their own light. There are ancient sharks who lived in the oceans millions of years ago, and new species who have just been discovered. Most importantly, did you know that most sharks are fighting for their survival?

Sharks Forever takes a deep dive into the lives of sharks––their habitat, biology, habits and personalities. It also looks at the biggest threats to their existence, from marine pollution and overfishing to bycatch and shark-fin soup. It goes beyond the bites and shares stories about people who swim with sharks and call them friends.

Reviews
“A wealth of fascinating research about sharks...If you weren’t a fan of sharks before reading Sharks Forever, you will undoubtedly come away with a new perspective. This up-to-date and comprehensive book will go a long way in convincing readers of the value of one of the world’s top predators and its rightful place in ocean ecosystems. Highly Recommended.”— CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“A passion for sharks shines through…A great addition to a unit on ocean life, ecosystems, apex predators, or conservation.”— Children's Literature

“An important book that’s fun to read. Sharks Forever presents beautiful images, captivating information and engaging stories, while underscoring the importance of shark conservation. It achieves something rare—a connection with sharks as individuals. We get insights into their communication, personalities and friendships. This is the shark book the world needs.”— Julia Barnes, Sea of Life filmmaker

“You’re either fascinated by sharks or terrified of them. Regardless, Sharks Forever is informative and offers fascinating insight into not only the science of sharks but their undeniable impact on the human race.”-  Madison “Shark Girl” Stewart, filmmaker and activist

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Orca Wild series that examines the intricacies of animals, ecosystems, humans and our relationships to each other.

Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Additional Information
99 pages | 7.50" x 9.00" | Hardcover

From healing to astronomy to our connection to the natural world, the lessons from Indigenous knowledge inform our learning and practices today.

How do knowledge systems get passed down over generations? Through the knowledge inherited from their Elders and ancestors, Indigenous Peoples throughout North America have observed, practiced, experimented, and interacted with plants, animals, the sky, and the waters over millennia. Knowledge keepers have shared their wisdom with younger people through oral history, stories, ceremonies, and records that took many forms.

In Sky Wolf’s Call, award-winning author team of Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger reveal how Indigenous knowledge comes from centuries of practices, experiences, and ideas gathered by people who have a long history with the natural world. Indigenous knowledge is explored through the use of fire and water, the acquisition of food, the study of astronomy, and healing practices.

Reviews
"An authoritative tribute to Indigenous knowledge systems that's a must-have for every library and classroom." - Kirkus Reviews

“Sky Wolf’s Call has an astoundingly broad scope introducing Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in North America from time immemorial to the current day … This fast paced celebration of Indigenous innovation and technology is riveting.” - The British Columbia Review

Educator Information
Interest Age: 11+
Grade: 6+
Reading Age: 11+

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Table of Contents
Author’s Note

1: Sky Wolf’s Call: The Gift of Indigenous Knowledge: Foundational ideas behind Indigenous Knowledge and the importance of retaining, maintaining, and learning this sacred knowledge.

2: Water Knowledge Ways: Water links us all and is sacred. Indigenous people have fought to protect the gift of water from harm, and the critical role it has played in transportation, agriculture, irrigation, and food.

3: Fire and Smoke Knowledge: Fire and smoke are great gifts, including the burning of tobacco. In sacred ceremonies, smoke connects our breath with the heavens. Fire cooks our food, helps grow our crops, and even keeps our waters clean. Cultural burns are used to benefit the land.

4: Indigenous Knowledge and Food Security: Sharing, growing, and receiving food with family, community, and visitors is both an honour and a tradition. By understanding the traditional practices of salmon fishing, clam gardens, planting and harvesting certain crops, or hunting buffalo, Indigenous Peoples have respected what Mother Earth has to offer.

5: Healing Knowledge Ways: The use of the medicine wheel and the sweat lodge have been used over centuries and still help sick and troubled people. Games such as lacrosse and chunkey have helped in building individual strength and community spirit. And braiding together Indigenous healing and western science has opened new learning opportunities.

6: Sky Knowledge: From the earliest Indigenous astronomers to modern astrophysicists, these sky watchers have studied the sacred gifts of the sky: the sun, moon, planets, and stars that have produced maps, calendars, beliefs about how to govern, and even directions for building homes.

7: Keeping the Knowledge: Indigenous People hold oral narratives in high esteem because that was the way knowledge passed from one generation to the next. People in North America recorded important events with symbols, pictographs (paintings), and petroglyphs (carvings). Language Keepers and Knowledge keepers are making sure that Indigenous knowledge is never forgotten.

8: Sky Wolf’s Call: Indigenous knowledge is based on the idea that this world is a gift. Understanding the idea of connections (the skies with the earth, people with animals, the practical with the spiritual) is an important lesson with the challenges of climate change, pandemics, and wars. The wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge can help the whole world.

Thanks and Acknowledgments

Glossary

Selected Reading

Sources and Contacts

Additional Information
120 pages | 7.50" x 9.25" | Paperback

Explore the ancient Arctic and the incredible creatures that lived there in this fact-filled, colourful read!

What kinds of animals used to live in the Arctic? You might not think of camels, elephants, and lions as Arctic animals, but the ancestors of these animals once roamed the North long ago. As a follow-up to our Ancient Arctic Mammals book, this book features mammals you wouldn’t expect to find in the Arctic. Learn all about these surprising ancient Arctic mammals!

The thrilling and mysterious world of the ancient Arctic is brought to life with dynamic, action-packed illustrations of larger-than-life creatures.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 7 to 9.

This book is part of the Nunavummi Reading Series, a Nunavut-developed series that supports literacy learning while teaching readers about the people, traditions, and environment of the Canadian Arctic.  It is a Level 13 book in the series. 

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. This book's F&P Level is O.

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.00" x 7.00" | Hardcover

Hoarders. Scavengers. Clever foragers. Bringers of new life.

Ravens have many roles, both for the land and in Gitxsan story and song. The sixth book in Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)’s Mothers of Xsan series transports young readers to Northwestern British Columbia, where they will learn about the traditions of the Gitxsan, the lives of ravens, and why these acrobatic flyers are so important to their ecosystem.

Follow along as Nox Gaak, the raven mother, teaches her chicks what they need to survive with the help of her flock.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 11.

This book is part of the Mother of Xsan series, which uses striking illustration and lyrical language to bring the poetry of the Xsan ecosystem to life.

Additional Information
32 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Hardcover 

How do animals see the world? It turns out, very differently.

In this nonfiction picture book, a young girl and her baby sister's outdoor adventure (hiking through the forest, picnicking in the grass and swimming in the ocean) is overseen by the local fauna. The way those animals view the girls is very different from how the girls see each other. Goats see far and wide in a panorama, whales don't see color the way humans do and a high-soaring eagle's sharp vision can clearly see a tiny mouse far below. Through clever illustrations and scientific prose, we are reminded that while we may see things differently, we all share this life together on planet Earth.

Reviews
"Well-organized, succinct, child-friendly and inquisitive…An eye-opening STEAM picture book. Highly Recommended.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 10.00" | Hardcover 

With crisp, luminous illustrations by celebrated Indigenous artist Roy Henry Vickers, and a simple rythmic text, this sturdy board book introduces the alphabet using iconic imagery of the West Coast, creating a book that will be cherished by young readers and their families.

Starting with colourful sea anemones waving in the ocean current, and closing with a snoozing grizzly bear (Zzz), this board book supports both early literacy and children's awareness of the natural world.

Publishers Weekly described Vicker’s previous collaboration with Robert Budd as “a gorgeous glimpse of the distinctive landscapes and creatures of the Northwest, [that] will enchant residents and nonlocals alike.”

Educator & Series Information
This book is a part of the First West Coast Books series.

Recommended for ages 3 and under.

Key Topics / Concepts: ABCs, Alphabet, West Coast, Indigenous, Canadian, Earth Sciences, Water, Literacy Development, Early Learners, Indigenous Artwork.

Additional Information
28 pages | 7.25" x 5.00" | Boardbook

From one to ten and beyond, explore the Salish Sea in this visually striking, high-concept counting primer. Acclaimed West Coast artist Nikki McClure uses a single piece of paper and an X-ACTO knife to create her simple yet exquisite images. Whether it's one stubby squid or one million raindrops, readers young and not-so-young will delight in this distinctly Pacific picture book.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This book is a visually striking counting primer featuring marine life from one to ten with the addition of large numbers (20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 10,000, 100,000).

Additional Information
32 pages | 6.50" x 9.00"

Included in this bundle are all four titles in the A Spring Adventure series:

A Spring Adventure With Deer
A Spring Adventure With Crows
A Spring Adventure With Robins
A Spring Adventure With Beavers

Books in this series use both fiction and non-fiction as a unique approach to storytelling.

On left-hand pages, lyrical text and colourful illustrations tell stories of young animals and their early morning spring adventures. Expertly woven into these delightful stories are interesting facts about the young animals and other plants and animals in that ecosystem.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of these books an accessible source of information for young readers.

Science Connections: Biodiversity, animal classification, food chains, life cycles, ecosystems, geology, and the connections between living and non-living things are some of the concepts included in this book.

Recommended for grades 2 and 3.

Scroll below to learn more about each book included in this bundle.

Additional Information
ISBN: 9781771745734

“The kit uses her webbed back feet and little flat tail to push through the water. She swims down the tunnel and out into the pond. At the surface of the water, she sees a dragonfly. She follows it to the edge of the pond. It settles on a big rock.”

This book uses both fiction and non-fiction as a unique approach to storytelling.

On left-hand pages, lyrical text and colourful illustrations tell a story of a young beaver’s early morning spring adventure. Using her senses, the kit discovers the world around her lodge. Expertly woven into this delightful story are interesting facts about beavers and other plants and animals in this wetland ecosystem.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the A Spring Adventure series.

Recommended for grades 2 and 3.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Science Connections: Biodiversity, animal classification, food chains, life cycles, ecosystems, geology, and the connections between living and non-living things are some of the concepts included in this book.

Additional Information
24 Pages | 8" x 8" | ISBN: 978-1-77174-567-3 | Paperback

“The fledgling lands safely at the foot of the tree. He looks around. He sees a ladybug crawling along the leaf of a stinging nettle. He is curious. Is it good to eat? He hops up onto a smooth, black rock to take a closer look.”

This book uses both fiction and non-fiction as a unique approach to storytelling.

On left-hand pages, lyrical text and colourful illustrations tell a story of a young crow’s early morning spring adventure. Using his senses, the fledgling discovers the world around his nest. Expertly woven into this delightful story are interesting facts about crows and other plants and animals in a city park.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the A Spring Adventure series.

Recommended for grades 2 and 3.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Science Connections: Biodiversity, animal classification, food chains, life cycles, ecosystems, geology, and the connections between living and non-living things are some of the concepts included in this book.

Additional Information
24 Pages | 8" x 8" | ISBN: 978-1-77174-568-0 | Paperback

“The buzzing sound fades away when the bee flies off. The fawn twitches his large ears and looks about. He can hear trickling water close by. He walks to the far side of the meadow, down a rocky bank, and to a little creek below.”

This book uses both fiction and non-fiction as a unique approach to storytelling.

On left-hand pages, lyrical text and colourful illustrations tell a story of a young fawn’s early morning spring adventure. Using his senses, the fawn discovers the world around him while searching for his mother. Expertly woven into this delightful story are interesting facts about black-tailed deer and other plants and animals in a forest ecosystem.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the A Spring Adventure series.

Recommended for grades 2 and 3.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Science Connections: Biodiversity, animal classification, food chains, life cycles, ecosystems, geology, and the connections between living and non-living things are some of the concepts included in this book.

Additional Information
24 Pages | 8" x 8" | ISBN: 978-1-77174-565-9 | Paperback

“The fledgling lands in the dry leaves, cones, and twigs on the forest floor. He stops for a moment. He looks around. He is wondering about the little flowers on the kinnikinnick plants. Are they food? He hops up onto a nearby rock to take a closer look.”

This book uses both fiction and non-fiction as a unique approach to storytelling.

On left-hand pages, lyrical text and colourful illustrations tell a story of a young robin’s early morning spring adventure. Using his senses, the fledgling discovers the world around his nest. Expertly woven into this delightful story are interesting facts about robins and other plants and animals in a forest ecosystem.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the A Spring Adventure series.

Recommended for grades 2 and 3.

Captioned and labelled photographs, word boxes, a diagram, and a map make the non-fiction portion of this book an accessible source of information for young readers.

Science Connections: Biodiversity, animal classification, food chains, life cycles, ecosystems, geology, and the connections between living and non-living things are some of the concepts included in this book.

Additional Information
24 Pages | 8" x 8" | ISBN: 978-1-77174-566-6 | Paperback